Fire-extinguisher.



No. 853,451. v V PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.. J. L HARDY. FIRE BXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATI ON FILED JULY 20, "1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

JESSE I. HARDY, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO PAUL A.GLANVILLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed July 20,1906. Serial No- 327,013.

To CLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEssE I. HARDY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to chemical fire eX- tinguishers, and has for itsprincipal objects to avoid the sticking of the plunger; to insure itsproper operation; to avoid the lodging of fragmentswhere they would. belikely to interfere with the proper operation of the device; to insurethe breaking of the acid bottle; and to secure other advantageshereinafter appearing.

My invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1shows in vertical section the upper portion of a chemical fireextinguisher embodying my inventionjand, Fig. 2 is a detail view showingthe plunger in its lowermost position.

My device comprises an ordinary alkali tank 1 having an annular flange 2on the inner wall of the neck 3. Suspended from this annular flange is askeleton cage 4 which supports the acid bottle 5. The upper end of theneck is screw-threaded exteriorly and has an interi'orly screw-threadedclosure cap 7 fitted thereon, with a rubber gasket 8 intervening betweenthe end of the neck and the body of the cap.

The closure cap has a tubular projection 9 on its inner face, the upperend of said projection, that is the portion thereof next to the body ofthe cap, is enlarged, and the shoulder 10 between the portions ofdifferent diameters is beveled off exteriorly and finished to constitutea valve seat.

The bore of the tubular projection. 9 6X tends through the body of thecap and a boss on the top side thereof. Through this bore extends a stem11 of aplunger, said stem being arranged to fit and slide freely in thebore. The inner projecting end of the stem is provided with an annularflange or tubular enlargement 12 arranged concentric with the stem andof such internal diameter as to permit it to fit and slide loosely overthe narrower portion of the projection 9. The tubular or annularenlargement 12 is longer than the narrower portion of the projection 9and has its inner edge 18 beveled off and finished to fit accuratelyagainst the valve seat 10 which it overlaps. The upper end of theplunger stem 11 is provided with a knob or enlarged head 14. Surroundingthe projecting portion of said stemis a helical spring f5 which bears atone end against the cap and at its other end against the knob orenlarged head at the outer end. of the plunger, whereby said springnormally holds the valve 13 up against the-seat 10. In this position,the inner enlargement of the plunger is preferably a slight distanceabove the acid bottle. It is preferable to have the outer surfaces ofthe enlarged head 12 and of the enlarged portionof the projection 9flush with each other so as to avoid any danger of particles of glass orof the chemicals lodging at or near their line of contact.

The general operation of my device is similar to that of other chemicalfire extinguishers. In order to break the acid bottle, the tank isinverted and dropped, so that the impact of the knob 14 against theground will force the plunger inwardly. On account of the enlarged head12 overlapping the valve seat and on account of its never entirelyuncovering the projection 9, there is slight probability of anyparticles of glass lodging against or adhering to the valve seat. Thisis particularly true when the valve seat is located some distanceinwardly from the body of the closure cap. Besides, on account of thebeveling of the valve seat and of the undercut edge portion 13, there isa tendency for such portion to scrape off of the valve seat anyfragments or foreign matter that may have lodged thereon. As soon as thespring 15 is free to act, it immediately seats the enlarged. headagainst the valve seat 10. In consequence of this arrangement, the boreof the closure cap is as tightly sealed as if a stuffing-box was used,while there is very slight friction and little danger of corrosion. Itis noted also that the pressure inside of said tank has a tendency tohold said plunger firmly against said valve seat.

Obviously, my device admits of considerable modification withoutdeparting from my invention, and I do not wish to be restricted to theconstruction hereinbefore described.

What I claim is:

1. A tank, a closure cap therefor having an opening therethrough and anextcriorly bev eled valve seat surrounding said opening, and a plungerfitting in said opening and having its lower end enlarged and provided.with an annular flange interiorly beveled to fit against said valveseat.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank, a closure cap therefor havingan opening therethrough and an exteriorly beveled Valve seat surroundingsaid opening, and a plunger fitting in said opening and having its lowerend enlarged and provided with an annular flange interiorly beveled tofit against said valve seat and a spring tending to keep said plunger inits outermost position.

3. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank, a closure cap therefor havingan opening therethrough and an exteriorly beveled valve seat surroundingsaid opening, and a plunger fitting in said opening and having its lowerend enlarged and provided with an annular flange interiorly threaded tofit against said valve seat, and a spring tending to keep said plungerin its outermost position, said plunger comprising a stem adapted toslide in said opening and having at its lower end an enlargement whoseupper shoulder is formed to fit against said valve seat.

4. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank, a closure cap therefor havingan opening therethrough and an exteriorly beveled valve seat surroundingsaid opening, and a springactuatcd plunger fitting in said opening andhaving enlargements at its ends, the lower enlargement having an annularflange which is interiorly beveled to constitute a valve for said valveseat and the upper enlargement constituting a knob and serving as anabutment for said spring.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank, a closure cap therefor havingan opening therethrough and an exteriorly beveled valve seat surroundingsaid opening, a plunger fitting in said opening and having anenlargement at its lower end, which enlargement is provided with anannular flange interiorly beveled to fit against said valve seat, and acoiled spring surrounding the projecting portion of the plunger andbearing against a shoulder thereon and against said cap.

6. A fire extinguisher comprising a tank, a closure cap therefor havinga tubular projec tion on its inner face, the upper portion of saidprojection being enlarged and beveled to form a valve seat, a plungerhaving a stem extending through said tubular portion. and having anannular enlargement whose inner edge is beveled to fit against saidvalve seat.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo sub scribing witnesses this 18th day of July, 1906, at St. Louis,Missouri.

JESSE I. HARDY.

Witnesses:

PAUL A. GLANVILLE, JAMES A. CARR.

